Birmingham Public Schools sent out a notice Tuesday that two cases of whooping cough — or pertussis — were reported in the same kindergarten classroom.

The first case of pertussis was reported Jan. 5 at Pierce Elementary School, according to the notice. The district quickly responded by notifying all the parents of students in the classroom. However, a second student in the same kindergarten classroom has now been diagnosed with pertussis.

The second student was infectious during the period of Jan. 5-6. In addition to being in the classroom, the same student also attended the school’s Kids Club, a latchkey program that’s open to students of all grades.

The notice states the student is currently out of school and will only return once antibiotic treatment is complete. District spokesperson Marcia Wilkinson said the first student has completed the antibiotic treatment and has returned to the classroom.

The Oakland County Health Division warns that pertussis is a very contagious disease caused by the bacteria bordetella pertussis. The bacterial infection is sometimes called the “100-day cough” because of the severe, prolonged coughing it causes. It is most contagious during the first two weeks of illness.

Anyone can get pertussis, but it is more severe in young children. The health division warns it can be “severe and even deadly in infants."

The Michigan Department of Health & Human Services notes there has been “a worrisome steady increase in pertussis over the past decade,” peaking in 2010 with more than 1,500 cases reported. Across the United States, more than 41,000 cases were reported in 2012, the most cases since 1955. Since then, the numbers have slowly declined.

Every year, about 15-20 children across the country die from pertussis. In Michigan, an infant died of pertussis in 2012. The symptoms include a runny nose and sneezing, along with a mild cough that develops into a persistent one after a week or two.

Officials at Pierce School are advising families to make sure their child’s vaccinations are up to date. Children with asthma, regardless of their immunization status, should be placed on preventive antibiotics.

Because more than one case was reported, the school also suggests that any student who has close contact with an infant under 12 months old, a pregnant family member or anyone with a weakened immune system should be placed on preventive antibiotics.

Go to the Oakland County Health Division at www.oakgov.com to learn more about pertussis and preventive measures.